U.S. patent application number 15/482050 was filed with the patent office on 2017-10-12 for soft robotic actuators for positioning, packaging, and assembling.
The applicant listed for this patent is Soft Robotics, Inc.. Invention is credited to Jeffrey Curhan, Daniel Vincent Harburg, Joshua Lessing, Sarv Parteek Singh.
Application Number | 20170291806 15/482050 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 58672669 |
Filed Date | 2017-10-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170291806 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lessing; Joshua ; et
al. |
October 12, 2017 |
SOFT ROBOTIC ACTUATORS FOR POSITIONING, PACKAGING, AND
ASSEMBLING
Abstract
Exemplary embodiments relate to applications for soft robotic
actuators in the manufacturing, packaging, and food preparation
industries, among others. Methods and systems are disclosed for
fixing target objects and/or receptacles using soft robotic
actuators, for positioning target objects and/or receptacles,
and/or for diverting or sorting objects. By using soft robotic
actuators to perform the fixing, positioning, and/or diverting,
objects of different sizes and configurations may be manipulated on
the same processing line, without the need to reconfigure the line
or install new hardware when a new object is received.
Inventors: |
Lessing; Joshua; (Brookline,
MA) ; Harburg; Daniel Vincent; (Brighton, MA)
; Singh; Sarv Parteek; (Cambridge, MA) ; Curhan;
Jeffrey; (Brighton, MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Soft Robotics, Inc. |
Cambridge |
MA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
58672669 |
Appl. No.: |
15/482050 |
Filed: |
April 7, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62319571 |
Apr 7, 2016 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B25J 9/1612 20130101;
G05B 2219/40253 20130101; B25J 9/0093 20130101; B25J 15/0023
20130101; B65C 3/26 20130101; B25J 15/12 20130101; G05B 2219/39466
20130101; B67C 3/24 20130101; B67C 3/007 20130101; B67B 3/02
20130101; B25J 9/142 20130101; B67C 2003/228 20130101; G05B
2219/39554 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B67C 3/00 20060101
B67C003/00; B67C 3/24 20060101 B67C003/24; B67B 3/02 20060101
B67B003/02; B25J 15/00 20060101 B25J015/00; B65C 3/26 20060101
B65C003/26 |
Claims
1. A method comprising: providing a target object to an input
location, the input location being proximal to a soft robotic
actuator, the soft robotic actuator comprising an elastomeric body
having a reservoir and configured to be inflated by supplying an
inflation fluid to the reservoir; transmitting a first control
signal to a controller associated with the soft robotic actuator,
the first control signal comprising a first command to inflate the
soft robotic actuator; fixing the target object at the input
location using the soft robotic actuator; performing an operation
on the target object; determining that the operation has ended;
transmitting a second control signal to the controller, the second
control signal comprising a second command to deflate the soft
robotic actuator; and providing the target object to an output
location.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object is a bottle,
and the operation comprises filling the bottle.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object is a bottle,
and the operation comprises labeling the bottle.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object is a bottle,
and the operation comprises capping the bottle
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object is a bottle,
and the operation comprises washing the bottle
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises
inspecting the target object;
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises repairing
the target object
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object comprises a
food item, and the operation comprises slicing the food item at a
predetermined location or dipping the food item.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object is a first
receptacle for receiving a plurality of objects to be packaged, the
first receptacle in a first configuration and the soft robotic
actuator supporting the first receptacle in the first
configuration, and further comprising: providing a second
receptacle in a second configuration different than the first
configuration; and fixing the second receptacle using the soft
robotic actuator.
10. A fixturing station comprising: an input location for receiving
a target object; a soft robotic actuator located within reach of
the input location, the soft robotic actuator comprising an
elastomeric body having a reservoir and configured to be inflated
by supplying an inflation fluid to the reservoir; a controller
programmed with instructions that, when executed by one or more
processors, cause the one or more processors to: cause the
inflation fluid to be delivered to the soft robotic actuator to fix
the target object at the input location; cause an operation to be
performed on the target object; determine that the operation has
ended; cause the soft robotic actuator to be deflated; and an
output location for receiving the target object after the operation
is performed.
11. The fixturing station of claim 10, wherein the target object is
provided to the input location and the output location using one or
more conveyor belts.
12. The fixturing station of claim 10, further comprising a
mounting plate comprising a plurality of holes for securing the
soft robotic actuator and for supplying the inflation fluid to the
soft robotic actuator.
13. The fixturing station of claim 10, wherein the soft robotic
actuator is a linearly-extending actuator.
14. The fixturing station of claim 10, further comprising a
relatively non-deformable plate positioned with respect to the
input location so that the soft robotic actuator, when actuated,
pins the target object to the plate.
15. The fixturing station of claim 10, wherein the soft robotic
actuator is fixed above or to the side of the input location.
16. The fixturing station of claim 10, wherein the soft robotic
actuator is movable with respect to the input location.
17. A method comprising: providing a target object to an input
location, the input location being proximal to a soft robotic
actuator, the soft robotic actuator comprising an elastomeric body
having a reservoir and configured to be inflated by supplying an
inflation fluid to the reservoir; identifying that the target
object is not in a predetermined target location; transmitting a
first control signal to a controller associated with the soft
robotic actuator, the first control signal comprising a first
command to inflate the soft robotic actuator; and moving the target
object to the predetermined target location using the soft robotic
actuator, the moving comprising one or more of translating,
rotating, or reorienting the target object.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the target object is provided
to the input location on a conveyor belt, and the predetermined
target location is a center of the conveyor belt.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the target object is provided
to the input location on a conveyor belt, and the predetermined
target location is a side of the conveyor belt.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein the target object is a flap of
a box, and the soft robotic actuator holds the flap in a
configuration that allows a clear path to an opening of the
box.
21. A method comprising: sensing a target object at an input
location with a sensor; determining if the target object is of a
first type or a second type; and diverting the target object to a
diversion location if the target object is of the second type, the
diverting comprising: providing the target object to a diversion
location accessible to a soft robotic actuator, the soft robotic
actuator comprising an elastomeric body having a reservoir, and
configured to be inflated by supplying an inflation fluid to the
reservoir, and transmitting a control signal to a controller
associated with the soft robotic actuator, the control signal
comprising a command to inflate the soft robotic actuator; or
refraining from diverting the target object to the diversion
location if the target object is of the first type.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first type is a normal type
and second type is a defective type.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein the first type has a
characteristic having a first value and second type has a
characteristic having a second value different than the first
value.
24. The method of claim 21, wherein the diversion location is a
receptacle.
25. The method of claim 21, wherein the input location is a first
conveyor belt, and the diversion location is a second conveyor
belt.
26. The method of claim 21, wherein the input location is a first
conveyor belt, and refraining from diverting comprises allowing the
target object to continue on the first conveyor belt.
27. The method of claim 21, wherein the input location is a first
conveyor belt, and refraining from diverting comprises allowing the
target object to continue to a second conveyor belt.
28. The method of claim 21, wherein sensing the target object
comprises scanning the target object with one or more of a visual
spectrum camera, an x-ray imaging system, a hyper spectral camera,
a 3D scanner, a spectrometer, or a barcode scanner.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 62/319,571, filed on Apr. 7, 2016 and entitled
"Soft Robotic Actuators for Positioning, Packaging, and
Assembling." The contents of the aforementioned application are
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Traditionally, fixturing, positioning and redirecting
devices employed in manufacturing, packaging, and food preparation
have predominantly employed hard components for interacting with
the object to be gripped and/or manipulated. Hard fixturing,
positioning and redirecting devices employ structures for
interacting with an object of interest that are relatively
non-compliant. Because hard structures do not readily conform to
the target being grasped, they can be limited in some respects when
employed in connection with certain applications.
SUMMARY
[0003] Soft robotic grippers provide new opportunities in
manipulating target objects for manufacturing, packaging, food
preparation, and other related tasks. Exemplary embodiments provide
methods and systems for fixing target objects and/or receptacles
using soft robotic actuators, for positioning target objects and/or
receptacles, and/or for diverting or sorting objects. Unless
otherwise noted, it is contemplated that the procedures described
below may be used alone or in any combination. Features described
in connection with one embodiment may be used in connection with
another, different embodiment, unless it is noted that the
embodiments are incompatible with each other.
[0004] According to an embodiment, a method may include providing a
target object to an input location, the input location being
proximal to a soft robotic actuator, the soft robotic actuator
comprising an elastomeric body having a reservoir and configured to
be inflated by supplying an inflation fluid to the reservoir. Among
other possibilities, the target object may be a bottle, produce, or
a receptacle for receiving a plurality of objects.
[0005] The method may further include transmitting a first control
signal to a controller associated with the soft robotic actuator,
the first control signal comprising a first command to inflate the
soft robotic actuator. In response to the first command, the system
may cause inflation fluid to be provided to the soft robotic
actuator, such as by operating a compressor, piston, and/or valve
for supplying the inflation fluid to the reservoir.
[0006] The method may further include fixing the target object at
the input location using the soft robotic actuator. For example,
the target object may be pinned between the soft robotic actuator
and another soft robotic actuator, the soft robotic actuator and a
metal plate or other solid surface, etc.
[0007] The method may further include performing an operation on
the target object, and determining that the operation has ended.
For example, if the target object is a bottle, the operation may
involve filling the bottle, labeling the bottle, washing the
bottle, and/or capping the bottle. If the target object is an
article of produce, the operation may include slicing the produce
at a predetermined location. Any target may also or alternatively
be inspected and/or repaired while fixed in place.
[0008] In some embodiments, the target object may be a first
receptacle for receiving a plurality of objects to be packaged, the
first receptacle in a first configuration and the soft robotic
actuator supporting the first receptacle in the first
configuration. In these embodiments, the method may further involve
providing a second receptacle in a second configuration different
than the first configuration, and fixing the second receptacle in
place using the same soft robotic actuator as was used to fix the
first receptacle.
[0009] The method may further include transmitting a second control
signal to the controller, the second control signal comprising a
second command to deflate the soft robotic actuator. Upon
deflation, the target object may be provided to an output
location.
[0010] The above-described method may be performed at a fixturing
station. The fixturing station may include an input location for
receiving a target object. In some embodiments, the target object
may be provided to the input location (and/or the below-described
output location) using one or more conveyor belts.
[0011] The fixturing location may further include a soft robotic
actuator located within reach of the input location, the soft
robotic actuator comprising an elastomeric body having a reservoir
and configured to be inflated by supplying an inflation fluid to
the reservoir. The soft robotic actuator may be a
linearly-extending actuator. In some embodiments, the fixturing
station may include a mounting plate comprising a plurality of
holes for securing the soft robotic actuator and for supplying the
inflation fluid to the soft robotic actuator. The actuator may be
fixed above or to the side of the input location, or may be movable
with respect to the input location (e.g., mounted to a
conveyor).
[0012] In some embodiments, the fixturing station may include a
relatively non-deformable plate positioned with respect to the
input location so that the soft robotic actuator, when actuated,
pins the target object to the plate.
[0013] The fixturing station may further include a controller
programmed with instructions that, when executed by one or more
processors, cause the one or more processors to: cause the
inflation fluid to be delivered to the soft robotic actuator to fix
the target object at the input location; cause an operation to be
performed on the target object; determine that the operation has
ended; and cause the soft robotic actuator to be deflated.
[0014] The fixturing station may further include an output location
for receiving the target object after the operation is
performed.
[0015] Other embodiments may provide a method for positioning,
moving, or otherwise manipulating a target object. The method may
include providing a target object to an input location, the input
location being proximal to a soft robotic actuator, the soft
robotic actuator comprising an elastomeric body having a reservoir
and configured to be inflated by supplying an inflation fluid to
the reservoir.
[0016] The method may further include identifying that the target
object is not in a predetermined target location. For example, the
target object may be provided to the input location on a conveyor
belt, and the predetermined target location may be a center of the
conveyor belt or a side of the conveyor belt.
[0017] The method may further include transmitting a first control
signal to a controller associated with the soft robotic actuator,
the first control signal comprising a first command to inflate the
soft robotic actuator.
[0018] The method may further include moving the target object to
the predetermined target location using the soft robotic actuator.
For example, the target object may be moved, by the inflation of
the actuator, to the side or center of a conveyor belt. In another
embodiment, the target object may be a flap of a box, and the
actuator may hold the flap in a configuration that allows a clear
path to an opening of the box.
[0019] The above-described method may be performed at a positioning
station. The positioning station may include an input location for
receiving a target object. The target object may be, for example, a
food item such as a unit of produce, a tray or platform for holding
objects, a box, etc.
[0020] The positioning location may further include a soft robotic
actuator located within reach of the input location, the soft
robotic actuator comprising an elastomeric body having a reservoir
and configured to be inflated by supplying an inflation fluid to
the reservoir. The soft robotic actuator may be mounted to a gantry
or set of rails above the input location so that the soft robotic
actuator is movable with respect to the input location.
[0021] In some embodiments, the target object may be provided to
the input location (and/or the below-described output location)
using one or more conveyor belts. The soft actuator may be mounted
to the conveyor belt and may hold the object. When it is determined
that the target object is not provided in the predetermined
location, the soft robotic actuator may be inflated or deflated to
move the target object into the predetermined location.
[0022] In some embodiments, the conveyor belts may be provided with
one or more protrusions for separating target objects from each
other. For example, the protrusions may take the form of one or
more additional soft robotic actuators, such as linear actuators,
that may be inflated to varying degrees to change the amount of
space available between the actuators to thereby accommodate items
of different sizes or shapes of target objects. Alternatively or in
addition to the protrusions, the conveyor belt may contain one or
more soft robotic actuators configured to partially encompass or
form a semispherical container for an object.
[0023] In further embodiments, the belt may be a flighted belt for
lifting items into the air (e.g., in order to drop them into a box
or container). The flighted belt may include protrusions made up of
soft robotic actuators.
[0024] In some embodiments, the positioning station may include a
relatively non-deformable plate positioned to a side of the
conveyor belt and with respect to the input location so that the
soft robotic actuator, when actuated, pins the target object to the
plate in a predetermined configuration. Upon moving to an output
location, the plate may give way to a cutting implement to cut the
target object at a predetermined location on the target object.
[0025] The positioning station may further include a controller
programmed with instructions that, when executed by one or more
processors, cause the one or more processors to: cause the
inflation fluid to be delivered to the soft robotic actuator to
move the target object at the input location to the predetermined
location and to cause the soft robotic actuator to be deflated
after moving the target object to the predetermined location. In
some embodiments, the soft robotic actuator may pin the flaps of a
box in a configuration that allows a clear path into an opening of
the box.
[0026] The positioning station may further include an output
location for receiving the target object after the moving is
performed.
[0027] In further embodiments, which may be used as an alternative
to or in conjunction with the embodiments described above, a method
of diverting a target object is provided.
[0028] The method may include sensing a target object at an input
location with a sensor. For example, the sensor may be a camera,
and sensing the target object may involve imaging the target object
with the camera. Computer vision and/or image analysis may be
applied to identify one or more characteristics of the target
object.
[0029] The method may further include determining if the target
object is of a first type or a second type. For example, the first
type may be a normal type and second type may be a defective type.
Alternatively or in addition, the first type may have a
characteristic having a first value and the second type may have a
characteristic having a second value different than the first
value.
[0030] The method may further include diverting the target object
to a diversion location if the target object is of the second type.
The diverting may include: providing the target object to a
diversion location accessible to a soft robotic actuator, the soft
robotic actuator comprising an elastomeric body having a reservoir,
and configured to be inflated by supplying an inflation fluid to
the reservoir, and transmitting a control signal to a controller
associated with the soft robotic actuator, the control signal
comprising a command to inflate the soft robotic actuator. For
example, the diverting location may be a receptacle, or a second
conveyor belt different than a first conveyor belt at the input
location.
[0031] Alternatively, if the target object is of the first type,
the method may include refraining from diverting the target object
to the diversion location. For example, a system may allow the
target object to continue along a first conveyor belt associated
with the input location, and/or may allow the target object to fall
from such a first conveyor belt to a second conveyor belt.
[0032] The above-described method may be performed at a diversion
station. The diversion station may include an input location for
receiving a target object. In some embodiments, the target object
may be provided to the input location (and/or the below-described
output location) using one or more conveyor belts.
[0033] The diversion station may include a sensor, such as a
camera, for sensing the target object at the input location.
[0034] The diversion location may further include a soft robotic
actuator located within reach of the input location, the soft
robotic actuator comprising an elastomeric body having a reservoir
and configured to be inflated by supplying an inflation fluid to
the reservoir. The soft robotic actuator may be a
linearly-extending actuator. The actuator may be fixed above or to
the side of the input location, or may be movable with respect to
the input location (e.g., mounted to a conveyor).
[0035] The diversion station may further include a controller
programmed with instructions that, when executed by one or more
processors, cause the one or more processors to: determine if the
target object is of a first type or a second type; divert the
target object to a diversion location if the target object is of
the second type by causing inflation fluid to be delivered to the
soft robotic actuator; or refrain from diverting the target object
to the diversion location when the target object is of the firs
type.
[0036] The diverting station may further include a diversion
location for receiving the target object in the case that the
target object is diverted, and may include an output location for
receiving the target object if the target object is not diverted.
For example, the diversion location may be a box, bin, or other
receptacle, and/or may be a second conveyor belt different than a
first conveyor belt associated with the input location. The output
location may be a first conveyor belt that is the same as a
conveyor belt associated with the input location, or may be a
second conveyor belt (e.g., a second conveyor belt positioned below
the first conveyor belt so that undiverted target objects are
permitted to drop from the first conveyor belt to the second
conveyor belt).
[0037] As noted above, it is contemplated that these embodiments
may be used separately or in combination with each other. For
example, the fixturing, positioning, and diverting techniques may
be employed in dedicated systems. Alternatively, a single system
may perform a combination of techniques, such as positioning a
target object at a predetermined location, fixing the target object
to perform an operation, and diverting the target object to an
appropriate output or diversion location. Techniques applicable to
one type of system may equally be applied to other types of systems
(such as, but not limited to, imaging objects using a sensor and
detecting object characteristics at any or all of the fixturing,
positioning, and/or diverting stations).
[0038] These and other embodiments are described in more detail
below with reference to the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0039] FIGS. 1A-1D depict an exemplary soft robotic actuator
system;
[0040] FIGS. 2A-2M depict various examples of fixturing stations
according to exemplary embodiments;
[0041] FIG. 3 is a flowchart depicting exemplary logic for
performing a method for fixing a target object using a fixturing
station;
[0042] FIGS. 4A-4E depict various examples of object positioning
stations according to exemplary embodiments;
[0043] FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting exemplary logic for
performing a method for moving a target object using a moving
station;
[0044] FIGS. 6A-6B depict various examples of diversion stations
according to exemplary embodiments;
[0045] FIG. 6C is a flowchart depicting exemplary logic for
performing a method for diverting a target object using a diverting
station;
[0046] FIG. 7 depicts an electronic device suitable for use in
exemplary embodiments; and
[0047] FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary network architecture suitable
for use with exemplary embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0048] The present invention will now be described more with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred
embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention, however, may
be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as
being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these
embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough
and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to
those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to
like elements throughout.
Background on Soft Robotic
[0049] Conventional robotic actuators may be expensive and
incapable of operating in certain environments where the
uncertainty and variety in the weight, size and shape of the object
being handled has prevented automated solutions from working in the
past. The present application describes applications of novel soft
robotic actuators that are adaptive, inexpensive, lightweight,
customizable, and simple to use.
[0050] Soft robotic actuators may be formed of elastomeric
materials, such as rubber, coated fabric, or thin walls of plastic
arranged in an accordion structure that is configured to unfold,
stretch, twist, bend, extend and/or contract under pressure, or
other suitable relatively soft materials. As an alternative or in
addition to accordion structures, other types or configurations of
soft actuators employing elastomeric materials may be utilized.
They may be created, for example, by molding bonding one or more
pieces of the elastomeric material into a desired shape.
Alternatively or in addition, different pieces of elastomeric
material may be thermally bonded, or sewn. Soft robotic actuators
may include a hollow interior that can be filled with a fluid, such
as air, water, or saline to pressurize, inflate, and/or actuate the
actuator. Upon actuation, the shape or profile of the actuator
changes. In the case of an accordion-style actuator (described in
more detail below), actuation may cause the actuator to curve or
straighten into a predetermined target shape. One or more
intermediate target shapes between a fully unactuated shape and a
fully actuated shape may be achieved by partially inflating the
actuator. Alternatively or in addition, the actuator may be
actuated using a vacuum to remove inflation fluid from the actuator
and thereby change the degree to which the actuator bends, twists,
and/or extends.
[0051] Actuation may also allow the actuator to exert a force on an
object, such as an object being grasped or pushed. However, unlike
traditional hard robotic actuators, soft actuators maintain
adaptive properties when actuated such that the soft actuator can
partially or fully conform to the shape of the object being
grasped. They can also deflect upon collision with an object, which
may be particularly relevant when picking an object off of a pile
or out of a bin, since the actuator is likely to collide with
neighboring objects in the pile that are not the grasp target, or
the sides of the bin. Furthermore, the amount of force applied can
be spread out over a larger surface area in a controlled manner
because the material can easily deform. In this way, soft robotic
actuators can grip objects without damaging them.
[0052] Still further, soft actuators are adaptive, and accordingly
a single fixture can grip multiple kinds of objects. Because the
outer surfaces of soft actuators are relatively delicate, they can
serve in roles such as redirectors for easily bruised or damaged
items (e.g., tomatoes) whereas hard fixtures might be limited to
manipulating more robust items (e.g., brass valves).
[0053] Furthermore, soft actuators will typically not mark the
surface being gripped. Typically, when an easily-marked surface
(e.g., a veneer) will be gripped by a hard fixture, a protective
coating or film may be applied to prevent the part from being
marked; this increases the cost of manufacturing. With a soft
actuator, this step may be omitted and the part may be protected
without a special coating or film.
[0054] Moreover, soft robotic actuators allow for types of motions
or combinations of motions (including bending, twisting, extending,
and contracting) that can be difficult to achieve with traditional
hard robotic actuators.
[0055] FIGS. 1A-1D depict exemplary soft robotic actuators. More
specifically, FIG. 1A depicts a side view of a portion of a soft
robotic actuator. FIG. 1B depicts the portion from FIG. 1A from the
top. FIG. 1C depicts a side view of a portion of the soft robotic
actuator including a pump that may be manipulated by a user. FIG.
1D depicts an alternative embodiment for the portion depicted in
FIG. 1C.
[0056] An actuator may be a soft robotic actuator 100, as depicted
in FIG. 1A, which is inflatable with an inflation fluid such as
air, water, or saline. The inflation fluid may be provided via an
inflation device 120 through a fluidic connection 118.
[0057] The actuator 100 may be in an uninflated state in which a
limited amount of inflation fluid is present in the actuator 100 at
substantially the same pressure as the ambient environment. The
actuator 100 may also be in a fully inflated state in which a
predetermined amount of inflation fluid is present in the actuator
100, or the pressure may be set to a predetermined amount (in
either case, the predetermined amount may correspond to a
predetermined maximum force to be applied by the actuator 100 or a
predetermined maximum pressure applied by the inflation fluid on
the actuator 100). The actuator 100 may also be in a full vacuum
state, in which all fluid is removed from the actuator 100, or a
partial vacuum state, in which some fluid is present in the
actuator 100 but at a pressure that is less than the ambient
pressure. Furthermore, the actuator 100 may be in a partially
inflated state in which the actuator 100 contains less than the
predetermined amount of inflation fluid that is present in the
fully inflated state, but more than no (or very limited) inflation
fluid.
[0058] In the inflated state, the actuator 100 may exhibit a
tendency to curve around a central axis as shown in FIG. 1A. For
ease of discussion, several directions are defined herein. An axial
direction passes through the central axis around which the actuator
100 curves, as shown in FIG. 1B. A radial direction extends in a
direction perpendicular to the axial direction, in the direction of
the radius of the partial circle formed by the inflated actuator
100. A circumferential direction extends along a circumference of
the inflated actuator 100.
[0059] In the inflated state, the actuator 100 may exert a force in
the radial direction along the inner circumferential edge of the
actuator 100. For example, the inner side of the distal tip of the
actuator 100 exerts a force inward, toward the central axis, which
may be leveraged to allow the actuator 100 to grasp an object
(potentially in conjunction with one or more additional actuators
100). The soft robotic actuator 100 may remain relatively conformal
when inflated, due to the materials used and the general
construction of the actuator 100.
[0060] The actuator 100 may be made of one or more elastomeric
materials that allow for a relatively soft or conformal
construction. Depending on the application, the elastomeric
materials may be selected from a group of food-safe, biocompatible,
or medically safe, FDA-approved materials. The actuator 100 may be
manufactured in a Good Manufacturing Process ("GMP")-capable
facility.
[0061] The actuator 100 may include a base 102 that is
substantially flat (although various amendments or appendages may
be added to the base 102 in order to improve the actuator's
gripping and/or bending capabilities). The base 102 may form a
gripping surface that grasps a target object.
[0062] The actuator 100 may include one or more accordion
extensions 104. The accordion extensions 104 allow the actuator 100
to bend or flex when inflated, and help to define the shape of the
actuator 100 when in an inflated state. The accordion extensions
104 include a series of ridges 106 and troughs 108. The size of the
accordion extensions 104 and the placement of the ridges 106 and
troughs 108 can be varied to obtain different shapes or extension
profiles.
[0063] Although the exemplary actuator of FIGS. 1A-1D is depicted
in a "C" or oval shape when deployed, one of ordinary skill in the
art will recognize that the present invention is not so limited. By
changing the shape of the body of the actuator 100, or the size,
position, or configuration of the accordion extensions 104,
different sizes, shapes, and configurations may be achieved.
Moreover, varying the amount of inflation fluid provided to the
actuator 100 allows the actuator to take on one or more
intermediate sizes or shapes between the un-inflated state and the
inflated state. Thus, an individual actuator 100 can be scalable in
size and shape by varying inflation amount, and an actuator can be
further scalable in size and shape by replacing one actuator 100
with another actuator 100 having a different size, shape, or
configuration.
[0064] The actuator 100 extends from a proximal end 112 to a distal
end 110. The proximal end 112 connects to an interface 114. The
interface 114 allows the actuator 100 to be releasably coupled to
other parts of the actuator. The interface 114 may be made of a
medically safe material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene,
polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone,
acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene ("ABS"), or acetal homopolymer. The
interface 114 may be releasably coupled to one or both of the
actuator 100 and the flexible tubing 118. The interface 114 may
have a port for connecting to the actuator 100. Different
interfaces 114 may have different sizes, numbers, or configurations
of actuator ports, in order to accommodate larger or smaller
actuators, different numbers of actuators, or actuators in
different configurations.
[0065] The actuator 100 may be inflated with an inflation fluid
supplied from an inflation device 120 through a fluidic connection
such as flexible tubing 118. The interface 114 may include or may
be attached to a valve 116 for allowing fluid to enter the actuator
100 but preventing the fluid from exiting the actuator (unless the
valve is opened). The flexible tubing 118 may also or alternatively
attach to an inflator valve 124 at the inflation device 120 for
regulating the supply of inflation fluid at the location of the
inflation device 120.
[0066] The flexible tubing 118 may also include an actuator
connection interface 122 for releasably connecting to the interface
114 at one end and the inflation device 120 at the other end. By
separating the two parts of the actuator connection interface 122,
different inflation devices 120 may be connected to different
interfaces 114 and/or actuators 100.
[0067] The inflation fluid may be, for example, air or saline. In
the case of air, the inflation device 120 may include a
hand-operated bulb or bellows for supplying ambient air. In the
case of saline, the inflation device 120 may include a syringe or
other appropriate fluid delivery system. Alternatively or in
addition, the inflation device 120 may include a compressor or pump
for supplying the inflation fluid.
[0068] The inflation device 120 may include a fluid supply 126 for
supplying an inflation fluid. For example, the fluid supply 126 may
be a reservoir for storing compressed air, liquefied or compressed
carbon dioxide, liquefied or compressed nitrogen or saline, or may
include an opening for supplying ambient air to the flexible tubing
118.
[0069] The inflation device 120 further includes a fluid delivery
device 128, such as a pump or compressor, for supplying inflation
fluid from the fluid supply 126 to the actuator 100 through the
flexible tubing 118. The fluid delivery device 128 may be capable
of supplying fluid to the actuator 100 or withdrawing the fluid
from the actuator 100. The fluid delivery device 128 may be powered
by electricity. To supply the electricity, the inflation device 120
may include a power supply 130, such as a battery or an interface
to an electrical outlet.
[0070] The power supply 130 may also supply power to a control
device 132. The control device 132 may allow a user to control the
inflation or deflation of the actuator, e.g. through one or more
actuation buttons 134 (or alternative devices, such as a switch).
The control device 132 may include a controller 136 for sending a
control signal to the fluid delivery device 128 to cause the fluid
delivery device 128 to supply inflation fluid to, or withdraw
inflation fluid from, the actuator 100. Alternatively or in
addition, the control device 132 may perform automatic control of
inflation or deflation, may collect diagnostic, sensor, or other
information from one or more systems monitoring the gripper, and/or
may accept remote commands from a user device and/or remote
controller.
Exemplary Methods and Systems for Fixing Target Objects at an Input
Location Using Soft Robotic Actuators
[0071] Some exemplary embodiments described herein provide
techniques and apparatuses for fixing a target object at a
particular location. As used herein, fixturing or fixing an object
refers to securing the object in a particular (predetermined)
location and/or in a particular (predetermined) configuration in
order to perform an operation on the object.
[0072] These techniques may be useful in a variety of scenarios,
such as: fixing a bottle or other receptacle to be cleaned, filled,
sealed, or labeled; fixing a food item to be sliced or cut; fixing
an article to be ground, cut, additively manufactured, or otherwise
operated upon; fixing a receptacle to receive one or more products
for packaging; fixing an object for inspection or repair; and many
other applications.
[0073] One exemplary fixturing station is depicted in FIGS. 2A-2B.
In this example, two soft actuators 100-1, 100-2 are used to fix a
bottle at an input location so that the bottle may be filled by a
filling machine 202. Although FIGS. 2A-2B depict an example of
fixing a bottle at a particular location, one of ordinary skill in
the art will understand that any suitable object may be fixed by
the actuators 100-1, 100-2. Moreover, although FIGS. 2A-2B depict
an example employing two actuators 100-i, more or fewer actuators
may be employed depending on the application.
[0074] For example, one or more linearly-extending accordion
actuators may be used as bumpers to center an item between them,
when inflated. In the case of multiple actuators, the actuators
may, for instance, pin the item between themselves. In the case of
a single actuator, the actuator may pin a bottle or other item up
against a hard target, such as a metal plate or curved sheet of
metal. In one example, for instance, the second actuator 100-2 may
be replaced with a relatively non-compliant plate, such as a metal
or hard plastic plate. Accordingly, when actuated the first
actuator 100-1 may pin the target object to the plate.
[0075] For instance, as shown in FIG. 2H (top), an L-shaped
hard-stop may be lowered onto a conveyor belt at a given location.
The interior corner may be provided in a precise location at which
an incoming object may be fixed for performing an operation. One or
more actuators (in this example, two actuators provided opposite
the sides of the L) may deploy to push the target item into the
corner, thereby fixing the target object against the L-shaped
hard-stop.
[0076] FIG. 2H (top and bottom) also depict a situation in which
one of the actuators is provided in-line with the conveyor (which,
in this case, is in the form of two rails separated by a certain
distance). In this example, the actuator is provided below the
conveyor and retracted (e.g., by being negatively inflated) so that
the actuator is out of the way when an item passes over it on the
conveyor. Subsequently, the actuator may be inflated to push the
target object in a direction parallel to the motion of the
conveyor.
[0077] After an operation is performed on the target object, the
actuators may be deflated and the L-shaped hard stop may be
withdrawn.
[0078] Because the actuator(s) 100-i are adaptable, the same set of
soft actuators may be used to hold a variety of different sizes and
shapes of target objects. For example, in FIG. 2A, the soft
actuators 100-1, 100-2 hold a relatively large bottle 204 having a
first shape, whereas in FIG. 2B the same soft actuators 100-1,
100-2 hold a relatively small bottle 208 having a second, different
shape.
[0079] The location in space at which the actuators hold the target
object is referred to herein as an input location. The target
object(s) may be delivered to the input location using any suitable
device; for example, FIGS. 2A-2B depict the target objects being
delivered to the input location via a conveyor belt or other
surface 206. In this example, the actuators 100-1, 100-2 may be at
a fixed location, e.g. by being fixed above, to the side, or below
the input location. Alternatively or in addition, the actuators
100-1, 100-2 may be movable with respect to the input location,
such as by being mounted on a gantry or conveyor belt, which may
move to the target object and/or may move with the target object.
The spacing or configuration (number of active actuators, layout,
etc.) of the actuators may be fixed or may be adjusted dynamically
to accommodate items of different shape, weight, and size.
[0080] In some embodiments, the input location may be a recess or
depression configured to receive the target object, as shown for
example in FIG. 2I. Such embodiments may be particularly
well-suited to objects having irregular shapes, where one or more
actuators may secure the target object from the top while the
object is partially encompassed in the depression. In further
embodiments, a soft actuator provided in the depression under the
object may be actuated to remove the object from the depression by
"kicking" the object upwards and forwards.
[0081] The actuators may be configured to grasp the target object
at a predetermined location on the target object. Furthermore, the
actuators may be configured to hold the target object in a
predetermined position, which may involve rotating and/or
translating the object once grasped.
[0082] This same concept may be applied to other devices requiring
that an object be held in a fixed location and/or configuration,
such as labeling machines (where the actuators may grip the bottle
at a predetermined location, such as the top, and the labeling
machine may apply labels to the rest of the body), capping machines
(where the actuator may hold the bottle at a particular location
such as the middle or base and a machine may push or rotate a cap
onto it), or a bottle washing machine (where the actuator may grip
the bottle at a section and a washing solution may be applied onto
it or in side of it via the washing machine).
[0083] More generally, soft actuators may be used to secure parts
of varying sizes, weights, and shapes for a number of other
operations to be performed in manufacturing, packaging, and other
fields. Further examples include gluing a work part, adding
semi-permanent fasteners like screws to a work part, adding o-rings
to a work part, hand lapping, laser marking, engraving, fitting
with parts/assembling, polishing, sanding, painting, powder
coating, anodizing, cutting, sewing, receiving a surface treatment
etc. A fixturing station may be provided with one or more actuators
at the input location for fixing the target object in place while
the operation is performed. A controller may receive a control
signal instructing the controller to inflate the actuator(s), and
in response may cause the actuators to be fully or partially filled
with the inflation fluid. This may serve to fix the target object
in place while the operation is performed. When the operation is
complete, the controller may receive a second control signal
instructing the controller to deflate the actuator(s), and in
response may cause the actuators to be fully or partially deflate
(e.g., removing some or all of the inflation fluid). The target
object may then be moved to an output location (e.g., a location
further along a conveyor system, or a receptacle for receiving
finished products) and a new target object may be moved into the
input location.
[0084] In yet another example, two opposing actuators 100 may hold
an article 212, such as a food item (e.g., a piece of broccoli,
lettuce, or a similar item) in a particular configuration, as shown
in FIG. 2C. The actuators 100 may hold the article 212 in a
particular configuration; in the example depicted in FIG. 2C,
Brussels sprouts are held stem-up for cutting. It is noted that, in
this image, the base 210 on which the actuators are mounted may be
a static table or a moving conveyor belt, among other
possibilities. Moreover, the conveyor may be in any orientation so
that the held item may be above, below, or to the side of the
conveyor in order to present the item to a processing machine
(e.g., a cutter, a coater, a washer, etc.) in any orientation
suitable for a given application.
[0085] Soft actuators may also hold relatively flat objects, such
as paper or cloth, under tension for cutting, scanning, marking,
inspecting, folding, etc. Examples of fixturing stations for such
purposes are shown in FIGS. 2J-2K. In these examples, two or more
actuators may be provided in locations that, when actuated, cause
the flat object to be pulled tight. After a soft actuator makes
contact with the object, the actuator may be restricted from
continuing to move in certain directions (e.g., into a hard stop).
Thus, continued inflation may cause the actuator to attempt to
continue to curl, which pulls the item back towards the base of the
actuator (as shown, e.g., at the bottom of FIGS. 2J and 2K). These
techniques may be employed with other fixturing methods described
herein.
[0086] FIGS. 2D-2E depict further examples in which soft actuators
100 act as adaptive fixtures holding a target object 214, 218 for a
visual inspection device 216 at a factory. In practice, any
suitable sensor may be used in place of the visual inspection
device 216. Because the soft actuators 100 are relatively
adaptable, the soft actuators 100 may be used to fixture and
inspect (e.g., visually, spectroscopically, etc.) parts of
different sizes, weights and shapes with none or minimal
reconfiguration on the tool holding the actuators 100. As in the
above examples, the actuators 100 may be statically mounted at an
inspection machine, or may be moving on a conveyor belt that
travels through an inspection machine.
[0087] FIG. 2F depicts an example in which soft actuators 100 act
as a set of "helping hands" for gripping a target object 220. These
helping hands may be mounted on a collaborative robot to assist
(e.g., a human or a robot) in an assembly process. Due to the
compliant nature of soft robotic actuators, such a setup may be
well-suited to holding delicate or easily blemishable items during
assembly. One example of such an application is a vehicle dash
panel finished with an easily blemishable veneer--the exemplary
soft fixturing device may hold the dash panel while a human or
another robot mounts the dashboard to the vehicle or as a human or
another robot attaches other components to the panel like chrome
plated plastic accessories.
[0088] In some embodiments, the operation may involve selectively
permitting target objects to pass through a location such as a
choke point on a conveyor line (FIG. 2L). In this case, one or more
actuators may be inflated to restrict objects from passing. Objects
may stack up behind the inflated actuators, which may be (fully or
partially) deflated and re-inflated at a predetermined timing in
order to allow a predetermined number (e.g., one) object past the
actuator. By controlling the timing of deflation and inflation, a
predetermined distance may be maintained between adjacent
objects.
[0089] Another example of an operation is a twisting operation, as
might be applied to a casing (e.g., for sausage or other stuffed
food products). As shown, for example, in FIG. 2M, one or more soft
actuators may pinch the casing at a predetermined location and the
casing may optionally undergo an initial twist. The actuators may
then hold the casing while it is optionally filled or stuffed. The
casing may then be twisted to secure the bottom (in FIG. 2M) of the
casing.
[0090] For applications such as those depicted in FIGS. 2A-2F, the
soft robotic actuators may be mounted on a base 222 that supplies
inflation fluid to the actuators and/or allows the actuators to be
repositioned. In another example, as shown in FIG. 2G, soft
actuators 100 may be mounted via their bases 222 to a fixturing
table 224 for holding an item to be welded, assembled, filled, or
processed. The actuators may be configured to curl around a piece
to be held, thereby securing the piece while operations are
performed on it.
[0091] The fixturing table 224 may optionally include a series of
holes 226 or punch-outs for receiving actuators 100. In this way,
the actuators 100 may be dynamically re-positioned to accommodate a
different item to be worked upon. The fixturing actuators 100 may
also be repositioned using a pneumatic, electromechanical, or
mechanical system (such as a ball drive or pneumatic linear
actuator) enabling the spacing and configuration of the fixturing
soft actuators 100 on the table 224 to be automatically adjusted to
accommodate items of different shape, size, and weight.
[0092] FIG. 3 is a flowchart depicting exemplary logic 300 for
performing a fixturing method according to exemplary embodiments.
The logic 300 may be embodied as instructions stored on a
non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed, causes
one or more processors of an electronic device (such as a
programmable logic controller) to perform the actions described in
FIG. 3. The instructions may be implemented at least partially in
hardware. The logic 300 may be performed by a system, such as
fixturing station as described above or another suitable system for
fixing a target object at a particular location and/or orientation.
The logic 300 may be implemented, for example, partially or
entirely by transmitting and/or receiving instructions and/or data
at a controller associated with the fixturing station.
[0093] Although the logic described in FIG. 3 (as well as FIG. 5
and FIG. 6C, below) are described as instructions performed by one
or more electronic devices, the logic may also or alternatively be
implemented in an analog manner, such as by logic implemented in a
hydraulic or pneumatic system.
[0094] At block 302, the system may provide a target object to an
input location. The input location may be a location at which an
operation is performed (see block 308), and may be proximal to at
least one soft robotic actuator. The soft robotic actuator may
include an elastomeric body with a reservoir configured to be
inflated by supplying an inflation fluid to the reservoir (e.g.,
via an inflation fluid supply line due to operation of a
compressor, valve, piston, actuator, or the like).
[0095] The target object may be any object suitable for fixing at
the target location. Among other possibilities, the target object
may be a bottle, produce, or a receptacle for receiving a plurality
of objects.
[0096] At block 304, the system may transmit a first control
signal. For example, the first control signal may be received at a
controller associated with the soft robotic actuator. The first
control signal may include a first command to inflate the soft
robotic actuator. In response to the first command, the system may
cause inflation fluid to be provided to the soft robotic actuator,
such as by operating a compressor, piston, and/or valve for
supplying the inflation fluid to the reservoir.
[0097] As a result of supplying the inflation fluid, the actuator
may be actuated and, at block 306, the target object may be fixed
at the input location. According to some embodiments, the input
location may include two or more soft robotic actuators that, when
actuated, pin the target object between themselves. In other
embodiments, one or more soft robotic actuators may pin the target
object between themselves and a relatively non-compliant object,
such as a metal or plastic plate.
[0098] Optionally, at block 306, the fixed object may be reoriented
to be placed into a predetermined target configuration. For
example, the object may be delivered in a first, known
configuration that is not the same as the predetermined target
configuration. The soft robotic actuators may be translated,
rotated, and/or inflated to a predetermined degree to reconfigure
the target object into the predetermined target configuration. In
other embodiments, one or more sensors may detect the first
configuration of the object, and reconfiguration logic on the
controller may determine how to rotate, translate, etc. the object
in order to move from the first configuration to the predetermined
target configuration.
[0099] When the target object is fixed at the predetermined target
location and/or predetermined target configuration, at block 308
the system may perform an operation on the target object. The
operation may include any suitable operation that may be performed
on the target object. In some embodiments, the same operation may
be performed consistently at the fixturing station, whereas in
other embodiments the target operation may vary for different
target objects received at the fixturing station. In some cases,
multiple operations may be performed, in serial or in parallel, at
the fixturing station.
[0100] For example, if the target object is a bottle, the operation
may involve filling the bottle, labeling the bottle, washing the
bottle, capping the bottle, scanning a barcode on the bottle,
inspecting a print quality on the bottle's label, determining
whether the bottle is filled with a predetermined amount of fluid,
and/or measuring/identifying the contents of the bottle. If the
target object is an article of produce, the operation may include
slicing the produce at a predetermined location. Any target may
also or alternatively be inspected and/or repaired while fixed in
place.
[0101] In some embodiments, the target object may be a first
receptacle and the target operation may involve placing one or more
objects to be packaged into the first receptacle. The first
receptacle may be provided in a first configuration, and the soft
robotic actuator may support the first receptacle in the first
configuration.
[0102] In these embodiments, the block 302 may further involve
providing a second receptacle in a second configuration different
than the first configuration to the input location. Block 306 may
further involve fixing the second receptacle in place using the
same soft robotic actuator as was used to fix the first receptacle.
A second operation may then be performed on the second receptacle
in block 308.
[0103] For example, the first receptacle may be a 4.times.3 tray
for receiving objects such as apples. Subsequently, a new type of
receptacle may be received at the fixturing station, such as a tray
in a 6.times.2 configuration. Using the embodiments described
above, the different receptacles may be supported at the fixturing
station without the need to reconfigure the supporting actuators.
Such a technique may be contrasted with more conventional packaging
stations, where a reconfiguration of the receptacle may require
that the entire packaging line be reconfigured to support the new
configuration.
[0104] At block 310, the system may determine that the operation
has ended. For example, some operations (e.g., washing a bottle,
capping a bottle) involve predetermined movements and/or take place
for a predetermined amount of time. When it is detected that the
final predetermined movement of the operation has occurred, or that
the predetermined amount of time has elapsed, the operation may be
determined to have been completed. The completion of other types of
operations may be determined using one or more sensors that detect
when one or more characteristics of the target object have changed
to predetermined target characteristics.
[0105] In some embodiments, after the operation has ended, the
target object may be inspected downstream of the fixing location. A
redirector or other device may reject defective objects for which
the operation was not successful. In other embodiments, inspection
may occur at the fixing station, potentially as part of step
310.
[0106] At block 312, the system may transmit a second control
signal to the controller. The second control signal may include a
second command to deflate the soft robotic actuator. For example,
one or more valves may be opened to allow the inflation fluid to be
evacuated from the reservoir of the soft robotic actuator. In some
embodiments, a vacuum may be applied to remove the inflation fluid
from the reservoir.
[0107] Upon deflation, the target object may be provided to an
output location at block 314. For example, if the target object is
provided on a conveyor belt or other type of assembly line, the
target object may continue to move down the belt/line. In other
embodiments, the target object may be removed to an output location
(such as a receptacle, bin, box, etc.) by a robotic arm. The
robotic arm may be a different arm than an arm supporting the
actuators used to fix the target object at block 306. In some
embodiments, the robotic arm may be the same as the arm used to fix
the target object, in which case the second control signal
transmitted at block 312 may be transmitted after the object is
provided to the target location at block 314.
[0108] Processing may then return to block 302 and the system may
process the next incoming target object.
Exemplary Methods and Systems for Positioning Target Objects at a
Predetermined Location Using Soft Robotic Actuators
[0109] Further exemplary embodiments, which may be used separately
or in conjunction with the embodiments described above, provide
techniques and apparatuses for positioning a target object. As used
herein, positioning an object refers to moving or reorienting the
object so that the object is provided at a predetermined target
location and/or in a predetermined target orientation. The target
object may or may not be secured (i.e., fixed at the predetermined
location), and an operation may or may not be performed on the
target object while the target objet is at the predetermined target
location and/or the predetermined target orientation.
[0110] For example, it is common in operations such as food
processing to need to position and orient a piece of food or an
assembly of food (e.g. a cake or sandwich) to a specific location
on a conveyor belt, such as in the center of the belt. For example,
one might need to position a head of lettuce on a conveyer so that
they are in the center of a conveyor belt with each stem facing the
same direction so the lettuce is fed correctly into a machine that
trims the head and stem of the lettuce or de-cores the lettuce.
[0111] Conventionally, the job of positioning and orienting items
is performed by human operators. However, due to the aforementioned
properties of soft robotic actuators (see "Background on Soft
Robotic Grippers," above), soft robotic actuators are well-suited
to handling delicate items and adapting to items of different
shapes or sizes.
[0112] In the example depicted in FIGS. 4A-4C, a set of
statically-positioned soft actuators 100 are accurately positioning
target objects 404-i (in this example, Brussels sprouts) on a
conveyor belt 406 moving in a direction as indicated by the marked
arrow. As an alternative to statically-positioned actuators 100,
the actuators 100 may be mounted on a hub that is movable with
respect to the conveyor belt, e.g. on a set of rails 402, an
overhead conveyor, a rotating mount, etc.
[0113] The location at which the actuators 100 manipulate a target
object is referred to herein as an input location. Upstream of the
input location on the conveyor 406 may be target objects that are
in a disorganized configuration. In the disorganized configuration,
the target objects may or may not be provide at a target location
on the conveyor belt 406 and/or in a target orientation.
[0114] In this example, upstream of the input location are
disorganized sprouts being fed towards a soft actuator positioning
station. One or more actuators 100 at the positioning station may
be inflated to reposition and/or reorient the target objects 404-i.
For example, the target objects 404-i may be fully gripped by the
actuators 100 and moved to a new location, or the actuators 100 may
be inflated and/or deflated individually or in groups to nudge or
otherwise reposition items.
[0115] For example, FIG. 4B depicts a situation in which a target
object (indicated by the curved arrow) is initially positioned to
the side of the conveyor belt (to the left, in the image). This
object may be moved towards a central location through the action
of a left-side actuator 100-1. In this example, the left-side
actuator 100-1 may optionally be negatively inflated (e.g., by
applying vacuum) before the target object arrives at the input
location (moving the left-side actuator 100-1 further to the left
to avoid contacting the approaching target object). The left-side
actuator 100-1 may then be inflated to move the actuator 100-1 back
towards the center, thereby nudging the target object towards the
center of the conveyor 406. In this example, it may not be
necessary to utilize a right-side actuator 100-2 to move the target
object. Nonetheless, the right-side actuator 100-2 may act as a
stop so that the target object does not move beyond the gripping
surface of the right-side actuator 100-2. Accordingly, in some
embodiments, the right-side actuator 100-2 may be partially or
fully inflated to prevent the target object from moving too far
past center. As a result, the target object may become centered on
the belt 406, as shown in FIG. 4C.
[0116] After passing through the soft actuator positioning station,
each sprout is centered on the conveyor belt 406 on the downstream
side (an output location) where the sprouts are moving outbound
away from the soft actuators 100.
[0117] In some embodiments, items 404-i on the conveyor belt 406
may be re-oriented in addition to, or alternatively from,
positioning the item 404-i. In order to re-orient an item 404-i, a
sensor may detect an initial orientation of the item, and
computer-implemented logic may determine how to turn the item in
order to achieve a desired orientation. One or more actuators 100
may be deployed to grasp or push/pull the item 404-i at certain
locations. The actuators may, individually or in combination with a
rotating base upon which the actuators are mounted, re-orient the
item 404-i to its desired orientation (e.g., by rotating the
item).
[0118] Although these and other embodiments described herein are
depicted handling food objects, it is understood that these
embodiments may be applied in other contexts as well, such as
general manufacturing, assembling, picking, etc. For example, this
same behavior can apply to manufacturing lines where parts are
positioned, oriented or justified along a moving belt or in a
stationary location.
[0119] In other embodiments, the actuators 100 may push the item,
such as a Brussels sprout or head of lettuce, to a predetermined
location or orientation on the conveyor 406, which may or may not
be the center of the conveyor. For example, one of the actuators
100 may push the item to one edge of the conveyor belt 406, against
a hard surface such as a wall beside the conveyor belt 406. The
item may be positioned such that a part of the item designated for
cutting (e.g., a stem of the Brussels sprout or the lettuce) may be
positioned against the wall. Downstream on the conveyor belt 406,
the wall may be replaced with a cutting blade or other implement
that cuts the designated part of the item (e.g., removing the stem
from the sprout, or cutting away the leaves of the lettuce to allow
them to fall freely). Additionally, the actuators 100 may also
re-orient the heads of lettuce such that all the stems are facing
the same direction after passing through the soft robotic
positioning station at the input location.
[0120] In the depicted example, two opposing actuators 100-1, 100-2
grasp and position the item on the belt 406. However, other
configurations are also possible. In some embodiments, more or
fewer actuators 100 may be employed. For instance, a sandwich may
be oriented and positioned by a set of four actuators (one for each
side of the bread) before being subjected to a cutting device. For
example, the cutting device may be a blade, a waterjet cutter, an
ultrasonic cutter, etc. Other types of cutting devices are also
contemplated.
[0121] In another example, a combination of actuators 100 (e.g.,
six in number) may inflate around a round baked good or wheel of
cheese in order to position the item before cutting.
[0122] In further embodiments, the belt 406 itself may include soft
robotic actuators 100. For instance, the example in FIGS. 4A-4C
shows a belt with a series of protrusions 408. These protrusions
408 may be replaced by soft robotic actuators. By, for example,
providing an array of linearly extending actuators that actuate in
a direction perpendicular to the conveyor 406 direction of travel
at different spacings, the distance between adjacent protrusions
408 may be adjusted (by inflating different combinations of
actuators) in order to accommodate items of different sizes or
shapes. In further embodiments, the actuators mounted in the
conveyor belt 406 may grip an object, or a tray or other platform
for holding objects (e.g., an egg-carton tray, an apple tray, a
tray of multiple fruit or vegetable items, a tray for parts, a
ping-pong ball packaging tray, blister pack style packaging, etc.)
Accordingly, if the container for an item is redesigned (e.g., the
apple tray's dimensions are altered), the actuators can quickly
adapt to the new size or shape, obviating the need to completely
redesign the conveyor belt 406 system and/or other parts of the
manufacturing line.
[0123] Still further, the protrusions 408 may be inflatable pillows
positioned directly against each other such that the conveyor is a
1.times.n array of inflatable pillows. The pillows may be
selectively inflated to create spaces for products; for example, in
FIG. 4A, the pillows under the Brussels sprouts may remain
uninflated, while pillows adjacent to the locations of the sprouts
may be inflated to create a pocket for the sprouts. By inflating
different combinations of pillows, the size of the spaces between
elevated portions may be adjusted to hold objects of different
sizes.
[0124] In other embodiments these belts 406 may contain molded
pockets to hold trays or products. These pockets may be replaced by
soft robotic actuators. By providing multiple actuators at
different spacings, such a configuration allows the dimensions of
the pocket to be adjusted (by inflating different combinations of
actuators) in order to accommodate items or trays of different
sizes or shapes. Accordingly, instead of or in addition to
protrusions 408, the actuators may be in the form of inflatable
cups that can receive an object.
[0125] In further embodiments, the belt 406 may be a flighted belt
for lifting items into the air (e.g., in order to drop them into a
box or container). The flighted belt 406 may include protrusions
408 made up of soft robotic actuators.
[0126] In some cases, products may be piled on the conveyor in each
flighted section (defined by the protrusions 408). In some cases,
proper positioning or orientation of these items may include a
vertical component--for example, the products may need to be
stacked to, at most, a predetermined maximum height. If the objects
are stacked higher than the maximum height, they might (for
example) clog a processing machine or make contact with support
structures. According to exemplary embodiments, a soft actuator may
be deployed at the predetermined maximum height.
[0127] The actuators may be inflated with a predetermined amount of
inflation fluid (or to a predetermined pressure), and the
inflow/outflow of the actuators and/or the internal pressure of the
actuator may be measured. Upon making contact with an object, the
actuator may be deflected and, as a result, inflation fluid may
flow out of (or into) the actuator. This flow of inflation fluid
may serve as a detector that indicates the presence of objects
above the predetermined maximum height. Alternatively, the actuator
may include touch sensors, bending sensors, or other types of
detection devices for registering contact with an object.
[0128] There are a number of advantages to using a soft actuator in
such a system, instead of a relatively hard fixture. For example,
soft actuators are relatively compliant and will not mark the
exterior of a product, thus preventing products from being damaged
or marred during processing.
[0129] Other embodiments are also contemplated. For example, in one
embodiment, soft actuators may be used to grasp delicate food
items, such as strawberries or cherries, in order to apply a dipped
coating, such as chocolate, to them. In one example, pairs of
opposed soft robotic actuators may be mounted to an overhead
conveyor belt, which carries the actuators in a "V" pattern (e.g.,
downhill and then uphill). At the lowest part of the "V" pattern, a
pool of fluid, such as chocolate, may be provided. When the items
gripped by the actuators reach the low point of the pattern, they
may come into contact with the pool and be dipped in the fluid.
Similarly, the actuators can be used in manufacturing lines for
gripping workpieces and subjecting them to processes such as
dyeing, sealing, cleaning, dipping (galvanizing, anodizing, dip
soldering etc.) or other coating methods.
[0130] In other examples, portions of an object may be
repositioned. For example, FIGS. 4D-4E show a system in which box
flaps are held in an open configuration by soft robotic actuators
100.
[0131] In manufacturing and packaging, the flaps 412 of boxes 410
can block the action of other machines or loading and unloading of
product from the box 410. For example, if a robotic arm is packing
a box 410, these flaps 412 can obstruct the path of the robotic
arm. In these situations, one conventional solution is to use hard
robotic grippers to move the flaps 412 of the box 412 out of the
way. This is problematic because such hard actuators are not
adaptable; accordingly, they cannot perform this task for many
different sizes and shapes of boxes 410 and might need significant
reconfiguration to satisfactorily cater to variations in box
dimensions.
[0132] A soft actuator, by contrast, may hold a wide range of
configurations and sizes of boxes 410 open, because at a given
pressure the actuators 100 will bend until they collide with an
object. Thus, upon inflation a long tentacle-like soft actuator 100
may bend until it strikes and pins a box flap 412 without the use
of sensors or reconfiguration even if the position of the box flap
412 varies widely from box size to box size. Moreover, while
holding the flap surface, a soft actuator is less likely to mark
the surface than a hard actuator. As a result, soft actuators may
be particularly well-suited to situations in which marking of
product packaging may diminish a customer's perception of the
product held by the packaging.
[0133] FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting exemplary logic 500 for
performing a positioning method according to exemplary embodiments.
The logic 500 may be embodied as instructions stored on a
non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed, causes
one or more processors of an electronic device to perform the
actions described in FIG. 5. The instructions may be implemented at
least partially in hardware. The logic 500 may be performed by a
system, such as positioning station as described above or another
suitable system for positioning a target object at a particular
location and/or orientation. The logic 500 may be implemented, for
example, partially or entirely by transmitting and/or receiving
instructions and/or data at a controller associated with the
positioning station.
[0134] At block 502, a target object may be provided to an input
location. Block 502 may generally correspond to block 302 in FIG.
3, with suitable modifications depending on the particular
configuration of the positioning station.
[0135] At block 504, the system may optionally determine if the
target object at the input location is already in a predetermined
target location (and/or in a predetermined configuration). The
predetermined target location and/or configuration may be relative
to another object, such as a conveyor belt (e.g., the predetermined
target location may be at the center or on the side of the conveyor
belt, and the predetermined configuration may require that the
object be oriented so that a particular side or face of the object
faces a particular portion of the conveyor belt or surrounding
environment). For example, the system may sense the target object
using a sensor (e.g., a camera) and may use the sensor data to
determine a location of the object. The thus-determined location
may be compared to a predetermined location to identify if the
current location of the object matches the predetermined location.
If the current location does not match the predetermined location,
a difference in one or more dimensions from the current location to
the predetermined location may be calculated.
[0136] Alternatively, the below operations (beginning at block 508)
may be automatically triggered without determining, or without
regard to, whether the target object is at the predetermined target
location. For example, the soft robotic actuator may be triggered
to deploy at a predetermining timing or upon detecting the presence
of an object (regardless of location), and the soft robotic
actuator may be arranged in a configuration that automatically
moves the target object to the predetermined location (or maintains
it at the predetermined location, if the object was already
properly positioned).
[0137] If the determination at block 504 is "yes" (i.e., the target
object is already provided at the predetermined location and/or
orientation), then at block 506 the target object may be permitted
to continue past the input location without action by a soft
robotic actuator. Processing may then return to block 502 and the
system may proceed to process the next incoming target object.
[0138] On the other hand, if the determination at block 504 is "no"
(i.e., the target object is not provided at the predetermined
location and/or orientation), then at block 508 the system may
transmit a first control signal. The first control signal may
include a first command to inflate the soft robotic actuator. The
actions performed at block 508 may be similar to those performed at
block 304 of FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the actuator be
configured and positioned so that, upon actuation, the target
object is automatically moved to the predetermined target
location/orientation without regard to the original
position/orientation of the target object. In other embodiments,
finer control may be utilized depending on the above-determined
initial position of the target object. For example, the first
control signal may include an instruction to initially negatively
inflate the actuator to move the actuator out of the way of an
incoming target object, and/or may include a particular inflation
profile describing when and to what extent inflation fluid should
be provided to the actuator. By executing the inflation profile and
supplying a targeted amount of inflation fluid at calculated
timings, the target object may be moved to a predetermined location
with fine control (potentially along a path specified by the
inflation profile).
[0139] At block 510, the system may move the target object to the
predetermined target location using the soft robotic actuator. For
example, the target object may be moved, by the inflation of the
actuator, to the side or center of a conveyor belt. In another
embodiment, the target object may be a flap of a box, and the
actuator may hold the flap in a configuration that allows a clear
path to an opening of the box.
[0140] At block 512, the system may transmit a second control
signal causing the actuator to be deflated, and the object may be
provided to an output location (see blocks 312-314 of FIG. 3).
Processing may then return to block 502, and the system may process
the next incoming target object.
Exemplary Methods and Systems for Diverting Target Objects to a
Diversion Location Using Soft Robotic Actuators
[0141] Further exemplary embodiments, which may be used separately
or in conjunction with the embodiments described above, provide
techniques and apparatuses for diverting a target object. As used
herein, diverting an object refers to pushing, redirecting, or
otherwise moving the object so that the object follows a new path
different than an original path the object followed and/or is
provided to a new location different than an original location that
the object would have been provided to without diversion. Diverting
the object may optionally involve reorienting the object as
described above.
[0142] For example, FIG. 6A depicts one embodiment of a diverting
station. In this example, a soft actuator 100 is used to
selectively redirect certain objects (such as those that do not
pass a visual quality inspection by an automated system) out of the
product flow of a conveyor 604. Here, input objects 602 move from
left-to-right (in the image) on a two-tiered conveyor belt system.
Objects 602 on an upper conveyor pass 604 by a visual inspection
camera 606 with computer vision for identification. If the object
602 is a desired or non-defective product 612, it is allowed to
fall on to the lower conveyor 610 and travel along uninterrupted.
If the object is recognized by the computer vision system as an
undesirable or defective object 608, a soft actuator 100 may strike
the object as it falls from the upper 604 to the lower conveyor 610
and thereby redirect it towards a receptacle 610 for collection.
Using a soft actuator 610 as a redirector ensures that delicate
products are not damaged in the process and that a wide array of
objects can be redirected with a single tool.
[0143] FIG. 6B depicts a second example of a diverting station in
which different product types are sorted. Here, a vision system 606
is used to identify if an object is one of two different product
types 614, 616. Products of a first type 616 are permitted to
continue traveling along a first conveyor 618. At a point
downstream of the vision system 606 on the conveyor 618, a soft
actuator 100 may redirect products of a second type 614 onto a
second conveyor 620.
[0144] FIG. 6C is a flowchart depicting exemplary logic 650 for
performing a diverting method according to exemplary embodiments.
The logic 650 may be embodied as instructions stored on a
non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed, causes
one or more processors of an electronic device to perform the
actions described in FIG. 6C. The instructions may be implemented
at least partially in hardware. The logic 650 may be performed by a
system, such as diverting station as described above or another
suitable system for diverting a target object to a diversion
location. The logic 650 may be implemented, for example, partially
or entirely by transmitting and/or receiving instructions and/or
data at a controller associated with the diverting station.
[0145] At block 652, a target object may be provided to an input
location. Block 502 may generally correspond to block 302 in FIG.
3, with suitable modifications depending on the particular
configuration of the diversion station. In some embodiments, the
input location may be a location of a sensor, such as a vision
system, which may be upstream from a soft robotic actuator. In this
case, the target object may move to the input location, may be
scanned, and then may move to the location of the actuator.
[0146] At block 654, the system may sense an object type of the
object. For example, a sensor, such as a camera, may image the
target object. Computer vision and/or image analysis may be applied
to identify one or more characteristics of the target object.
[0147] At block 656, the system may determine, based on the sensing
at block 654, if the target object is of a first type or a second
type. For example, the first type may be a normal type and second
type may be a defective type. Alternatively or in addition, the
first type may have a characteristic having a first value (e.g., an
object shape or color) and the second type may have a
characteristic having a second value different than the first value
(e.g., a different shape or color).
[0148] If the determination at block 656 is "no" (i.e., the object
is of a first type instead of the second type), then at block 658,
the system may refrain from diverting the target object of the
first type from its initial path. This may involve, for example,
allowing the target object to continue along an original conveyor
belt, or allowing the target object to fall, undiverted, from an
upper conveyor belt to a lower conveyor belt.
[0149] Processing may then return to block 652, and the system may
process the next target object received at the input location.
[0150] On the other hand, if the determination at block 656 is
"yes" (i.e., the object is of the second type), then at block 660,
the system may transmit a first control signal. The first control
signal may include a first command to inflate the soft robotic
actuator. The actions performed at block 660 may be similar to
those performed at block 304 of FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the
actuator be configured and positioned so that, upon actuation, the
target object is diverted from a first location to a diversion
location at block 662.
[0151] Diverting the target object may include providing the target
object to a diversion location accessible to the soft robotic
actuator, and inflating the soft robotic actuator in response to
the control signal transmitted at block 660. For example, the
diverting location may be a receptacle, or a second conveyor belt
different than a first conveyor belt at the input location.
[0152] At block 664, the system may transmit a second control
signal causing the actuator to be deflated, and the object may be
provided to an output location (see blocks 312-314 of FIG. 3).
Processing may then return to block 652, and the system may process
the next target object received at the input location.
Computing System and Network Implementation
[0153] The above-described methods may be embodied as instructions
on a computer readable medium or as part of a computing
architecture. FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of an exemplary
computing architecture 700 suitable for implementing various
embodiments as previously described. In one embodiment, the
computing architecture 700 may comprise or be implemented as part
of an electronic device, such as a computer 701. The embodiments
are not limited in this context.
[0154] As used in this application, the terms "system" and
"component" are intended to refer to a computer-related entity,
either hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software,
or software in execution, examples of which are provided by the
exemplary computing architecture 700. For example, a component can
be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a processor,
a processor, a hard disk drive, multiple storage drives (of optical
and/or magnetic storage medium), an object, an executable, a thread
of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By way of illustration,
both an application running on a server and the server can be a
component. One or more components can reside within a process
and/or thread of execution, and a component can be localized on one
computer and/or distributed between two or more computers. Further,
components may be communicatively coupled to each other by various
types of communications media to coordinate operations. The
coordination may involve the uni-directional or bi-directional
exchange of information. For instance, the components may
communicate information in the form of signals communicated over
the communications media. The information can be implemented as
signals allocated to various signal lines. In such allocations,
each message is a signal. Further embodiments, however, may
alternatively employ data messages. Such data messages may be sent
across various connections. Exemplary connections include parallel
interfaces, serial interfaces, and bus interfaces.
[0155] The computing architecture 700 includes various common
computing elements, such as one or more processors, multi-core
processors, co-processors, memory units, chipsets, controllers,
peripherals, interfaces, oscillators, timing devices, video cards,
audio cards, multimedia input/output (I/O) components, power
supplies, and so forth. The embodiments, however, are not limited
to implementation by the computing architecture 700.
[0156] As shown in FIG. 7, the computing architecture 700 comprises
a processing unit 702, a system memory 704 and a system bus 706.
The processing unit 702 can be any of various commercially
available processors, including without limitation an AMD.RTM.
Athlon.RTM., Duron.RTM. and Opteron.RTM. processors; ARM.RTM.
application, embedded and secure processors; IBM.RTM. and
Motorola.RTM. DragonBall.RTM. and PowerPC.RTM. processors; IBM and
Sony.RTM. Cell processors; Intel.RTM. Celeron.RTM., Core (2)
Duo.RTM., Itanium.RTM., Pentium.RTM., Xeon.RTM., and XScale.RTM.
processors; and similar processors. Dual microprocessors,
multi-core processors, and other multi-processor architectures may
also be employed as the processing unit 702.
[0157] The system bus 706 provides an interface for system
components including, but not limited to, the system memory 704 to
the processing unit 702. The system bus 706 can be any of several
types of bus structure that may further interconnect to a memory
bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and a
local bus using any of a variety of commercially available bus
architectures. Interface adapters may connect to the system bus 706
via a slot architecture. Example slot architectures may include
without limitation Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP), Card Bus,
(Extended) Industry Standard Architecture ((E)ISA), Micro Channel
Architecture (MCA), NuBus, Peripheral Component Interconnect
(Extended) (PCI(X)), PCI Express, Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association (PCMCIA), and the like.
[0158] The computing architecture 700 may comprise or implement
various articles of manufacture. An article of manufacture may
comprise a computer-readable storage medium to store logic.
Examples of a computer-readable storage medium may include any
tangible media capable of storing electronic data, including
volatile memory or non-volatile memory, removable or non-removable
memory, erasable or non-erasable memory, writeable or re-writeable
memory, and so forth. Examples of logic may include executable
computer program instructions implemented using any suitable type
of code, such as source code, compiled code, interpreted code,
executable code, static code, dynamic code, object-oriented code,
visual code, and the like. Embodiments may also be at least partly
implemented as instructions contained in or on a non-transitory
computer-readable medium, which may be read and executed by one or
more processors to enable performance of the operations described
herein.
[0159] The system memory 704 may include various types of
computer-readable storage media in the form of one or more higher
speed memory units, such as read-only memory (ROM), random-access
memory (RAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), Double-Data-Rate DRAM (DDRAM),
synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), programmable ROM
(PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable
programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, polymer memory such as
ferroelectric polymer memory, ovonic memory, phase change or
ferroelectric memory, silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS)
memory, magnetic or optical cards, an array of devices such as
Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) drives, solid state
memory devices (e.g., USB memory, solid state drives (SSD) and any
other type of storage media suitable for storing information. In
the illustrated embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the system memory 704
can include non-volatile memory 708 and/or volatile memory 710. A
basic input/output system (BIOS) can be stored in the non-volatile
memory 708.
[0160] The computing architecture 700 may include various types of
computer-readable storage media in the form of one or more lower
speed memory units, including an internal (or external) hard disk
drive (HDD) 712, a magnetic floppy disk drive (FDD) 714 to read
from or write to a removable magnetic disk 716, and an optical disk
drive 718 to read from or write to a removable optical disk 720
(e.g., a CD-ROM or DVD). The HDD 712, FDD 714 and optical disk
drive 720 can be connected to the system bus 706 by an HDD
interface 722, an FDD interface 724 and an optical drive interface
726, respectively. The HDD interface 722 for external drive
implementations can include at least one or both of Universal
Serial Bus (USB) and IEEE 694 interface technologies.
[0161] The drives and associated computer-readable media provide
volatile and/or nonvolatile storage of data, data structures,
computer-executable instructions, and so forth. For example, a
number of program modules can be stored in the drives and memory
units 708, 712, including an operating system 728, one or more
application programs 730, other program modules 732, and program
data 734. In one embodiment, the one or more application programs
730, other program modules 732, and program data 734 can include,
for example, the various applications and/or components of the
communication system 500.
[0162] A user can enter commands and information into the computer
701 through one or more wire/wireless input devices, for example, a
keyboard 736 and a pointing device, such as a mouse 738. Other
input devices may include microphones, infra-red (IR) remote
controls, radio-frequency (RF) remote controls, game pads, stylus
pens, card readers, dongles, finger print readers, gloves, graphics
tablets, joysticks, keyboards, retina readers, touch screens (e.g.,
capacitive, resistive, etc.), trackballs, trackpads, sensors,
styluses, and the like. These and other input devices are often
connected to the processing unit 702 through an input device
interface 740 that is coupled to the system bus 706, but can be
connected by other interfaces such as a parallel port, IEEE 694
serial port, a game port, a USB port, an IR interface, and so
forth.
[0163] A monitor 742 or other type of display device is also
connected to the system bus 706 via an interface, such as a video
adaptor 744. The monitor 742 may be internal or external to the
computer 701. In addition to the monitor 742, a computer typically
includes other peripheral output devices, such as speakers,
printers, and so forth.
[0164] The computer 701 may operate in a networked environment
using logical connections via wire and/or wireless communications
to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer 744. The
remote computer 744 can be a workstation, a server computer, a
router, a personal computer, portable computer,
microprocessor-based entertainment appliance, a peer device or
other common network node, and typically includes many or all of
the elements described relative to the computer 701, although, for
purposes of brevity, only a memory/storage device 746 is
illustrated. The logical connections depicted include wire/wireless
connectivity to a local area network (LAN) 748 and/or larger
networks, for example, a wide area network (WAN) 750. Such LAN and
WAN networking environments are commonplace in offices and
companies, and facilitate enterprise-wide computer networks, such
as intranets, all of which may connect to a global communications
network, for example, the Internet.
[0165] When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 701
is connected to the LAN 748 through a wire and/or wireless
communication network interface or adaptor 752. The adaptor 752 can
facilitate wire and/or wireless communications to the LAN 748,
which may also include a wireless access point disposed thereon for
communicating with the wireless functionality of the adaptor
752.
[0166] When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 701
can include a modem 754, or is connected to a communications server
on the WAN 750, or has other means for establishing communications
over the WAN 750, such as by way of the Internet. The modem 754,
which can be internal or external and a wire and/or wireless
device, connects to the system bus 706 via the input device
interface 740. In a networked environment, program modules depicted
relative to the computer 701, or portions thereof, can be stored in
the remote memory/storage device 746. It will be appreciated that
the network connections shown are exemplary and other means of
establishing a communications link between the computers can be
used.
[0167] The computer 701 is operable to communicate with wire and
wireless devices or entities using the IEEE 802 family of
standards, such as wireless devices operatively disposed in
wireless communication (e.g., IEEE 802.13 over-the-air modulation
techniques). This includes at least Wi-Fi (or Wireless Fidelity),
WiMax, and Bluetooth.TM. wireless technologies, among others. Thus,
the communication can be a predefined structure as with a
conventional network or simply an ad hoc communication between at
least two devices. Wi-Fi networks use radio technologies called
IEEE 802.13x (a, b, g, n, etc.) to provide secure, reliable, fast
wireless connectivity. A Wi-Fi network can be used to connect
computers to each other, to the Internet, and to wire networks
(which use IEEE 802.3-related media and functions).
[0168] FIG. 8 is a block diagram depicting an exemplary
communications architecture 800 suitable for implementing various
embodiments as previously described. The communications
architecture 800 includes various common communications elements,
such as a transmitter, receiver, transceiver, radio, network
interface, baseband processor, antenna, amplifiers, filters, power
supplies, and so forth. The embodiments, however, are not limited
to implementation by the communications architecture 800.
[0169] As shown in FIG. 8, the communications architecture 800
includes one or more clients 802 and servers 804. The clients 802
may implement the client device 510. The servers 804 may implement
the server device 526. The clients 802 and the servers 804 are
operatively connected to one or more respective client data stores
806 and server data stores 808 that can be employed to store
information local to the respective clients 802 and servers 804,
such as cookies and/or associated contextual information.
[0170] The clients 802 and the servers 804 may communicate
information between each other using a communication framework 810.
The communications framework 810 may implement any well-known
communications techniques and protocols. The communications
framework 810 may be implemented as a packet-switched network
(e.g., public networks such as the Internet, private networks such
as an enterprise intranet, and so forth), a circuit-switched
network (e.g., the public switched telephone network), or a
combination of a packet-switched network and a circuit-switched
network (with suitable gateways and translators).
[0171] The communications framework 810 may implement various
network interfaces arranged to accept, communicate, and connect to
a communications network. A network interface may be regarded as a
specialized form of an input output interface. Network interfaces
may employ connection protocols including without limitation direct
connect, Ethernet (e.g., thick, thin, twisted pair 10/100/1000 Base
T, and the like), token ring, wireless network interfaces, cellular
network interfaces, IEEE 802.8a-x network interfaces, IEEE 802.16
network interfaces, IEEE 802.20 network interfaces, and the like.
Further, multiple network interfaces may be used to engage with
various communications network types. For example, multiple network
interfaces may be employed to allow for the communication over
broadcast, multicast, and unicast networks. Should processing
requirements dictate a greater amount speed and capacity,
distributed network controller architectures may similarly be
employed to pool, load balance, and otherwise increase the
communicative bandwidth required by clients 802 and the servers
804. A communications network may be any one and the combination of
wired and/or wireless networks including without limitation a
direct interconnection, a secured custom connection, a private
network (e.g., an enterprise intranet), a public network (e.g., the
Internet), a Personal Area Network (PAN), a Local Area Network
(LAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), an Operating Missions as
Nodes on the Internet (OMNI), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a wireless
network, a cellular network, and other communications networks.
General Notes on Terminology
[0172] Some embodiments may be described using the expression "one
embodiment" or "an embodiment" along with their derivatives. These
terms mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic
described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least
one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment"
in various places in the specification are not necessarily all
referring to the same embodiment. Moreover, unless otherwise noted
the features described above are recognized to be usable together
in any combination. Thus, any features discussed separately may be
employed in combination with each other unless it is noted that the
features are incompatible with each other.
[0173] With general reference to notations and nomenclature used
herein, the detailed descriptions herein may be presented in terms
of program procedures executed on a computer or network of
computers. These procedural descriptions and representations are
used by those skilled in the art to most effectively convey the
substance of their work to others skilled in the art.
[0174] A procedure is here, and generally, conceived to be a
self-consistent sequence of operations leading to a desired result.
These operations are those requiring physical manipulations of
physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these
quantities take the form of electrical, magnetic or optical signals
capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and
otherwise manipulated. It proves convenient at times, principally
for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits,
values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like.
It should be noted, however, that all of these and similar terms
are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and
are merely convenient labels applied to those quantities.
[0175] Further, the manipulations performed are often referred to
in terms, such as adding or comparing, which are commonly
associated with mental operations performed by a human operator. No
such capability of a human operator is necessary, or desirable in
most cases, in any of the operations described herein, which form
part of one or more embodiments. Rather, the operations are machine
operations. Useful machines for performing operations of various
embodiments include general purpose digital computers or similar
devices.
[0176] Some embodiments may be described using the expression
"coupled" and "connected" along with their derivatives. These terms
are not necessarily intended as synonyms for each other. For
example, some embodiments may be described using the terms
"connected" and/or "coupled" to indicate that two or more elements
are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. The
term "coupled," however, may also mean that two or more elements
are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still co-operate
or interact with each other.
[0177] Various embodiments also relate to apparatus or systems for
performing these operations. This apparatus may be specially
constructed for the required purpose or it may comprise a general
purpose computer as selectively activated or reconfigured by a
computer program stored in the computer. The procedures presented
herein are not inherently related to a particular computer or other
apparatus. Various general purpose machines may be used with
programs written in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may
prove convenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform
the required method steps. The required structure for a variety of
these machines will appear from the description given.
[0178] It is emphasized that the Abstract of the Disclosure is
provided to allow a reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the
technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that
it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of
the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it
can be seen that various features are grouped together in a single
embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This
method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an
intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than
are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following
claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all
features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following
claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with
each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment. In the
appended claims, the terms "including" and "in which" are used as
the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms "comprising"
and "wherein," respectively. Moreover, the terms "first," "second,"
"third," and so forth, are used merely as labels, and are not
intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.
[0179] What has been described above includes examples of the
disclosed architecture. It is, of course, not possible to describe
every conceivable combination of components and/or methodologies,
but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many
further combinations and permutations are possible. Accordingly,
the novel architecture is intended to embrace all such alterations,
modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope
of the appended claims.
CONCLUSION
[0180] Any or all of the above-described techniques may be
implemented by suitable logic stored on a non-transitory
computer-readable medium. When executed by one or more processors,
the logic may cause the processors to perform the techniques
identified above. The logic may be implemented fully or partially
in hardware. The logic may be included as part of a controller for
controlling the actuation, de-actuation, movement, position, etc.
of a soft robotic actuator and/or a soft robotic system employing
one or more actuators in a gripper arrangement.
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